CREATING COMMUNITY-BASED BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

Brownfields impact communities in a variety of ways. Abandoned or dilapidated buildings on brownfield sites signal neglect even in an otherwise well-maintained neighborhood.  Contaminants found on brownfield sites can pollute soil, air, and water resources on- and off-site. This poses environmental and public health threats. Safety
is another issue as neglected sites are a breeding ground for illegal activities, such as dumping. Finally, brownfields are a drain on the local economy and take a serious toll on community morale, especially in low-income neighborhoods that suffer from a disproportionate number of brownfield sites.

Despite these negative impacts, brownfields present an opportunity to communities.  Redevelopment efforts across the country have transformed former gas stations, contaminated industrial sites, dilapidated hospitals, and run-down, asbestos-laden schools into affordable housing, parkland and open space, community centers, housing for elderly, mixed-use developments, and even community gardens and other forms of urban agriculture. Brownfields are often found in prime locations—central to business districts, bordering or within neighborhoods, along popular commercial corridors, and on high-traffic transportation routes, and provide opportunities for economic development in historically disinvested communities. Brownfields offer developable land in otherwise built-out communities. The redevelopment of even a single brownfield site can spur economic development and opportunities throughout an entire district.

Each and every brownfield site is different. Physical characteristics, site history, community dynamics, location, contaminants, ownership, and financing all play a role in the how a site is redeveloped. Notwithstanding, below is a basic redevelopment process that can be molded to fit almost any effort to remediate and redevelop a brownfield site. The basic steps in the brownfield redevelopment process include:

Step 1: Develop a Community Vision
Step 2: Identify Brownfield Sites
Step 3: Assess Level of Contamination
Step 4: Determine Reuse Options
Step 5: Evaluate Cleanup Options
Step 6: Implement a Redevelopment Plan

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